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Her loyalty to Westford schools is unwavering

When now-retired School Committee member Judy Culver was elected to the School Committee in 1982, Westford s population was 13,200 and the school budget was $6.6 million. SUN/DAVID H. BROW

WESTFORD -- When Judy Culver was elected to the School Committee in 1982, Westford's population was 13,200 and the school budget was $6.6 million.

As Culver retired from the committee in April, the school district's budget is $47.6 million and the population of the town has grown to almost 22,000 residents.

Culver has been a consistent figure in town government for more than 30 years. She served on the School Committee from 1982 to 1992, moved to the Finance Committee and then ran for School Committee again in 2007.

School Committee member David Keele, who said Culver was on the stage as a School Committee member when he graduated from Westford Academy, said Culver loves and cares for the town.

"If all the towns had a handful of Judy Culvers that commit their lives to volunteering and commit their lives to going the extra mile, we would all be better people. And I do know this -- Westford is a better place because of you," Keele said at Culver's final School Committee meeting.

Culver sat down with The Sun to reflect on her years on the School Committee.

Q: What were the big issues when you were elected in 1982?

A: We were building a lot of schools in 1990s. In the 1980s we went through two or three failed votes for building schools. We were fortunate we needed space at the time there was financial help. The curriculum was not consistent across the district, which was a concern among parents.

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Especially in that period of time, different sections of town that were perceived as being treated differently, that has diminished somewhat.

Q: Westford Public Schools are recognized for being a top-performing school district statewide. Why?

A: Rigorous curriculum as far as what is offered. Teachers want their students to love the subject as much as they do. What has concerned me is the stress on students to be top performers. We forget that each child should be self-satisfied with what he/she is achieving instead of being focused on always trying to do better than somebody else.

Q: What is your style that you brought to the committee?

A: A sense of common sense and practicality.

Q: What was the most enjoyable aspect of serving?

A: I enjoyed the Citizen Activity Committees that we used to have about 15 years ago. It would be people, just regular citizens would get together and talk about a topic that they were interested in and would make recommendations to the School Committee. For example, whether to close or open a school or to put lights on the football field.

Q: Why did you run for School Committee again in 2007?

A: I was on the Finance Committee and I went to a budget hearing for the schools and listened to them going through the budget, and I got excited again about the schools. With 10 years of Finance Committee behind me, I thought I might offer useful suggestions.

Q: What are some of the hard decisions you've made?

A: I still remember going to work the next day crying, when we voted the night before to close three schools. I was so devastated. At that time we had to try to combine students into one school. We ended up only closing one school that year.

Q: Why did you decide to run initially for the School Committee?

A: When I moved to Westford I was involved in the League of Women Voters and Joan O'Brien encouraged me to run for the School Committee. I come from a family of educators and I knew I needed to do something to help the community.

Q: What district achievement makes you most proud?

A: I'm very proud of the foreign languages we offer, like Mandarin.

Q: What is the most important thing facing the schools?

A: We need to go to full-day kindergarten. The community also has to do more to promote Nashoba Valley Technical High School for the great opportunity that it is as an entryway into college or a trade or another field. With Nashoba Tech and Westford Academy, our children have the best opportunities.

Q: What do you think the town must do to fund the school district?

A: When it comes to funding the town's schools, Proposition 2 1/2 increases the amount you are able to ask from the community. The town has not been bold in asking. It's something that has to come. Just because we've been afraid to ask, we should be asking.

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